Resilient repelling amusement device



April 5, 1955 o. O'DANiE LL RESILIENT REPELLING AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed March 22, 196.2 2 sheecs Sheet 1 Oscar 0 mm 1N VENTOR.

April 6, 1965 O'DANIELL 3,176,982

RESILIENT REPELLING AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed March 22, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oscar Obaniel/ INVENTOR.

3,176,982 Patented Apr. 6, 1965 3,176,982 RESILENT REPELLING AMUSEMENT DEVICE 7 Gscar ODaniell, 18 S. Hanover, Cape Girardeau, Mo. Filed Mar. 22, 1962, Ser. No. 181,656 2 Claims. (Cl. 272-1) Ihe present invention generally relatesrto amusement devices, and more particularly to a resilient inflated device adapted to repel or bounce away persons or objects coming in contact therewith with any degree of force.

One of the primary objects of the present invention is the provision of an inflated amusement device capable of receiving the weight of an individual jumping thereon and rebounding or bouncing away this individual thereby providing a source of amusement as well as exercise to the user thereof.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a device which can be enjoyed by both children and grownups.

Likewise, an object of the present invention is the provision of an amusement device which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, extremely durable and easily stored during periods of non-use.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the device of the present invention positioned for use on the ground with a portion of the ground being broken away;

FIGURE 2 illustrates an elevational view of the device of FIGURE 1 with a portion thereof broken away so as to illustrate the manner in which the resilient dome is secured to the supporting base;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the device illustrating the manner in which the inflating substance is introduced into the device;

FIGURE 4 illustrates a modification of the device of FIGURE 1 adapted to be floated upon a body of water;

FIGURE 5 illustrates a further modification of FIG- URE 1 wherein the device is fixedly secured to the bottom of a body of water and has its upper end located above the water level; and

FIGURE 6 illustrates a partial elevational view of the device of FIGURE 5 with portions thereof broken away so as to further illustrate details thereof.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, reference numeral 11 generally designates the amusement device comprising the present invention. The amusement device Itl consists basically of two members, a flat base 12 and an inflatable resilient dome-shaped member 14. The flat base 12 can be constructed of any conventional rigid material such as wood or metal, and additionally, may be of various different shapes, however, the circular shape illustrated herein is considered to be preferable and may be made of any desired diameter. The resilient dome 14 may be formed of any conventional resilient material capable of being maintained in an inflated position as well as receiving and rebounding the user of the device. In regard to this resilient dome, rubber is considered to be the preferred material.

The resilient dome 14 consists of an outwardly extending flange 16 formed integrally with and extending outwardly from a bottom section 18 and an upwardly bulged or domed portion 2% which is resiliently inflatable and capable of withstanding repeated jumping thereon. The flange 16 of the dome 14 is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced apertures 22. which are coinerally about the supporting base 12.

In securing the resilient dome 14 to the supporting base 12, the dome 14 is positioned on the base 12 with the holes 22 in the'flang'e 16 coinciding with-the holes 24 in the base 12. An attaching ring 26, also provided with holes 28 coincident with the holes 22. and 24, is then positioned over a flange 16 and secured to the supporting base 12 by means of a plurality of fasteners 30 extending through the aligned holes so as to'seal the flange 16 of the dome 14 to the supporting base 12. If so desired, the flange 16 and bottom 18 can be cemented directly to the supporting base 12 either in lieu of or in addition to the use of the attaching ring 26. Additionally, in the event that the supporting base 12 is capable of itself retaining the inflating substance, the bottom 18 can be eliminated provided the outwardly upstanding flange 16 is tightly sealed or cemented in position.

FIGURE 3 illustrates the manner in which a conventional valve 32. is sealed to and extends into the interior of the dome 14 through the flange 16 so as to allow for the introduction of an inflating fluid such as water or air from an outlet 34.

While the amusement device 10 can be positioned directly upon the ground 36, it is preferred that the lower portion of the device It be embedded in the ground 36, in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 1, so as to stabilize the device and prevent any undesirable contact with the rigid attaching ring 26.

FIGURE 4 illustrates a modification 40 which is adapted to float partially submerged within a body of water 42 and secured to the bottom 44 thereof by means of an extending flexible line 46 anchored to the base 44 by means of an anchor bolt 48 and secured to the resilient device in any conventional manner such as by means of an extending tab 5t! formed integrally with the lower surface of the resilient inflatable device 40. As seen in FIG- URE 4, this modified form of amusement device 40 is substantially in the shape of an ellipsoid or compressed sphere, however, the invention herein is not specifically limited to such a shape. A valve means 52 is provided for the introduction of a lighter than water inflating substance. While it is preferred that the device 40 be anchored to the bottom so as to prevent any undesirable drifting thereof, such an anchoring feature can obviously be eliminated so as to provide for afree floating of the device 46 and still remain within the scope of the present invention.

FIGURES 5 and 6 illustrate a further modification wherein an ellipsoidal inflatable resilient amusement device is positioned with its upper surface extending slightly above the surface 62 of a body ofwater 64 by means of a rigid pedestal 66 preferably constructed of steel. The rigid pedestal 66 consists of a base plate 68 anchored by bolts 70 to the bottom 72 of the body of water 64, an upright column 74 secured to and supported by the base 68, and a dish-shaped upper member 76 secured to the upper end of the column 74 in any conventional manner such as by welding 78. In this modification, the inflatable amusement device 60 is generally secured to the dish-shaped member 76 by means of a conventional waterproof cement, however, other conventional securing means can be used if deemed desirable.

From the foregoing, the manner in which the present amusement device is used is considered to be readily apparent. The device is positioned either directly on the ground or in a body of Water with its upper inflated resilient portion extending outwardly therefrom so as to form a resilient surface for the reception of and rebounding or bouncing off of a person jumping thereon.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation containing domeashaped outwardly projecting portion formed solely of a sealed flexible and resilient material which, when inflated, has the transverse diameter at the inner end thereof substantially greater than the maximum height thereof as to present a relatively wide froce receiving and repelling domed surface, a flat rigid supporting base, said dome-shaped portion having an integral peripheral flange about the inner end thereof, said flange being sealed to said base so as to mount said dome-shaped portion thereon, and a fluid introducing valve means located below the domed surface and communicating with the 'ceiving and repelling domed surface, a vertically elongated rigid pedestal, said outwardly projecting portion being 1,091,860 Miner Mar. 31, 1914 2,381,394 Beach Aug. 7, 1945 7 2,689,357 1 Hornback Sept. 21, 1954 2,706,630 Cisne Apr, 19, 1955 2,731,055 Smith Ian. 17, 1956 2,775,452 Libra a Dec. 25, 1956 2,911,658 Stanley Nov. 10, 1959 3,026,648 Lemelson Mar. 27, 1962 3,099,450 Randall July 30, 1963 3,110,047 Bringman Nov. 12, 1963 FOREIGN PATENTS 370,108 Great Britain Apr. 7, 1932 

1. AN INFLATABLE AMUSEMENT DEVICE INCLUDING A FLUID CONTAINING DOME-SHAPED OUTWARDLY PROJECTING PORTION FORMED SOLELY OF A SEALED FLEXIBLE AND RESILIENT MATERIAL WHICH, WHEN INFLATED, HAS THE TRANSVERSE DIAMETER AT THE INNER END THEREOF SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN THE MAXIMUM HEIGHT THEREOF AS TO PRESENT A RELATIVELY WIDE FROCE RECEIVING AND REPELLING DOMED SURFACE, A FLAT RIGID SUPPORTING BASE, SAID DOME-SHAPED PORTION HAVING AN INTEGRAL PERIPHERAL FLANGE ABOUT THE INNER END THEREOF, SAID FLANGE BEING SEALED TO SAID BASE SO AS TO MOUNT SAID DOME-SHAPED PORTION THEREON, AND A FLUID INTRODUCING VALVE MEANS LOCATED BELOW THE DOMED SURFACE AND COMMUNICATING WITH THE INTERIOR OF THE DOME-SHAPED PORTION. 